The present invention relates generally to elevator fixtures and, in particular, to surface mounted hall call fixtures.
A fixture, which is used for switching and signaling purposes and which can receive switches, floor indicators and traveling direction indicators in a housing, is shown in the Swiss patent specification CH 270 934. The housing is set into a wall recess and terminated flush with the wall by a cover plate. In the case of fixtures which are used as traveling direction indicators, incandescent bulb holders are arranged in the housing with incandescent bulbs. In that case, a glass pane carrying an arrow is positioned in a recess at the upper rim of the housing and a transparent matte glass pane is inserted into a slot formed in the cover plate.
A disadvantage of the fixture described above is that expensive wall recesses are required, which appreciably increase on-site assembly operations. Normally, the wall recesses must be formed during the construction 0f the building. For this purpose, personnel expert in elevator systems are required at the building site before the actual elevator assembly. A further disadvantage is that, in the case of subsequent modification or modernization of an elevator plant, the wall recesses can not be relocated at any desired locations about the elevator portal without increased effort and expense.
Recent federal legislation has required that the push buttons on hall fixtures be located forty-two inches above the finished floor. In buildings constructed before the legislation was enacted, the push button hall fixtures are mounted much higher than forty-two inches. In order to relocate such fixtures, a new recess must be formed in the wall to receive the fixture and the old recess must be covered and the wall refinished. Such a process is extremely time consuming and expensive, especially where the walls are finished with marble, concrete or similar building materials.
One solution to this problem has been to provide a fixture which extends from the existing recess downwardly along the surface of the wall. The push buttons are mounted in the lower end of such fixture at the regulated height. Such fixture uses a surface mounted base plate that is attached to the wall and a housing which covers the base plate and is removably attached thereto. The housing is formed of a single sheet of metal which is formed into a box-like shape with an open rear for receiving the base plate. Such construction is relatively expensive since the sheet metal must be subjected to several drawing and/or bending and/or welding operations. Furthermore, the requirements for the shape and the size of the housing can vary between elevator installations such that many such installations require custom sizes which cannot be mass produced.